Total births
642
Girls' name · since 1880
Bena
642 babies named Bena in U.S. Social Security records since 1880, with the highest year being 1918. Year-by-year trend, decade aggregates, and state-level rankings drawn from federal birth data.
- 642
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 13%
- born in that decade
642 girls have been named Bena since 1880, though it isn't currently a top-ranked name.
Social Security Administration records show Bena recorded 642 times among girls since 1880, though it doesn't currently rank among the most-used girls names, peaking in the 1920s. This profile derives year-by-year birth trends, decade totals, and state-level distribution directly from SSA birth-registration files spanning 1880 to 2025.
- 642 total births
- 1880–2025 years on record
- 1920s peak decade
- 13% born in that decade
Data updated Jul 2026
The verdict
642 girls have been named Bena since 1880, peaking in the 1920s, last recorded in 2025.
- 642
- total births
- 1880–2025
- years on record
- 1920s
- peak decade
- 13%
- born in that decade
1920s
Peak decade
13% of everyone ever named Bena was born in this single decade.
1918
Single peak year
16 babies were named Bena in 1918 - its busiest year on record.
Bena's usage pattern, beyond the headline number
Bena splits its recorded history at 1942: 46% of all births land in the more recent half, 54% in the earlier half, an evenly balanced pattern over time. The single quietest year was 1888 (5 births) -- compare that against the 1918 peak of 16 for a sense of just how much the name's popularity has swung.
Bena at a glance
Last recorded 2025Peak year
1918
Current rank
Unranked
Active since
1880
Bena popularity over time
Annual U.S. births registered with the Social Security Administration · 1880–2025
- Peak year (1918)
- 16
- Annual births at peak, across 146 years of records
Bena by decade
Total births in each ten-year window, peak vs trough at a glance
1920s was Bena's strongest decade.
86 babies received the name during that ten-year window, about 13% of all-time use.
Bena births by decade
Total births in each ten-year window
- 1880s 24
1880s
24 births
- 1890s
1890s
49 births
- 1900s
1900s
46 births
- 1910s
1910s
83 births
- 1920s
1920s
86 births
- 1930s
1930s
51 births
- 1940s
1940s
38 births
- 1950s
1950s
35 births
- 1960s 28
1960s
28 births
- 1970s
1970s
45 births
- 1980s
1980s
36 births
- 1990s 23
1990s
23 births
- 2000s 33
2000s
33 births
- 2010s
2010s
38 births
- 2020s 27
2020s
27 births
What this shows Peak: 1920s at 86 births (13% of all-time use).
How Bena compares to similarly-sized names
Years in SSA records vs. share of all-time use concentrated in the single peak year, among 15 girls names closest to Bena's total volume
Bena vs 15 similarly-sized girls names
Bena by state
Where Bena concentrates geographically, total births since 1880
| Rank | State | Visual share | Births | Share of total |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| #1 | Pennsylvania | | 27 | 4.2% |
| #2 | Texas | | 5 | 0.8% |
Pennsylvania share of Bena's total US births 4.2%
Even split
27 of 642 births nationwide. Compared to a flat distribution across 2 reporting states.
Frequently Asked Questions
How popular is the name Bena? ▼
Bena has been given to 642 babies in the U.S. since 1880, according to SSA data. Its last appearance in the data was 2025. 16 babies were born in 1918, its single highest year.
When was Bena most popular? ▼
Bena was most popular in the 1920s decade with 86 total births. The single peak year was 1918.
Where is Bena most popular? ▼
The top states for the name Bena are Pennsylvania (27 births), Texas (5 births).
How long has the name Bena been used? ▼
Bena has been recorded in Social Security data since 1880, spanning 146 years of data through 2025.
What names are similar to Bena? ▼
Names with a similar sound or spelling include Benita, Bennie, Bentley, Benjamin, and 4 more. These share a common prefix and are also used for girls.
What to do with Bena's data
- Bena's decade-level peak was the 1920s (86 total births); usage has since declined to 27 in the 2020s -- if you're weighing a "classic revival" angle, the trend line argues against it.
- Pennsylvania records the most Benas (27 births) -- see the full state breakdown if geography matters to your decision. Pennsylvania names
- Weighing it against an alternative? Put two names side by side. Compare names
Figures reflect SSA-reported births only; see the methodology above for the privacy-suppression floor.
Keep exploring Bena
Nearby Names Like Bena
Names with a similar sound, spelling, or feel to Bena
Benita Girl
#11148 13,669 births
Bennie Girl
#4895 9,936 births
Bentley Girl
#1704 3,535 births
Benjamin Girl
#13577 2,482 births
Bennett Girl
#1064 2,340 births
Compare Bena side by side: Bena vs Benita Bena vs Bennie Bena vs Bentley
Related Names
Names with a similar number of total births
Data Sources
Data as of July 2026. Source: U.S. Social Security Administration (SSA).
According to the Social Security Administration, this profile draws directly from the agency's public-use baby-name files (updated June 2026). See our methodology for the full extraction, aggregation, and privacy-suppression rules.
Primary: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names from Social Security Card Applications, National Data, 1880–2025 (ssa.gov/oact/babynames).
State-level: Source: U.S. Social Security Administration, Baby Names, State-Level Files (namesbystate.zip).
Cite this page
NameAlmanac Editorial. "Bena: Baby Name Since 1880 - 642 Births, Peak 1918." NameAlmanac. Accessed via https://namealmanac.com/name/bena. Licensed CC BY-SA 4.0.
Name Almanac is rendered directly from the Social Security Administration's public baby-name files, no number is typed in by an editor. This profile for Bena draws directly on SSA national and state-level files, no figure is typed in by an editor. See our editorial standards & corrections policy, the methodology behind these numbers, or report a data error. Data current as of July 2026.